What does it really mean to be present — not just busy, polished, productive, or professionally “fine”?

In this episode of The Heather Petero Show, Heather sits down with Reverend James Williams, Senior Pastor of Grace Resurrection Methodist Church and author of The Present Pastor: Step Off the Stage and Learn to Lead Like Jesus.

They talk about presence over performance, servant leadership, church culture, burnout, and why people need more than polished programs — they need relationship. They also get into koi ponds, 70s TV commercials, Captain and Tennille, and James’s bold claim that no good music happened after 1989. Heather has questions.

This episode is for pastors, leaders, teachers, parents, creatives, and anyone who needs the reminder that the people in front of us are not interruptions to the mission.

Very often, they are the mission.

Connect with James Williams:
Facebook & Instagram: @rev.jamesiv
Book: The Present Pastor
Church: Grace Resurrection Methodist Church

We would love to hear from you!

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www.heatherpetero.com

Facebook: @theheatherpeteroshow

What happens when a seriously stressed-out high school English teacher burns out and ends up building an extraordinary life teaching guitar?

In this episode, Heather talks with Rob Hampton — teacher, entrepreneur, and all-around delight — about how he went from burnout to building something truly special in music education. Rob has taught everyone from four-year-olds to Fortune 500 CEOs, helped over 29 million guitarists, and built a career rooted in joy, grit, and real intention.

They talk about building something amazing, helping everyday people have extraordinary experiences making music, student breakthroughs, AI, chronic pain, creativity, and one very specific grammatical hill Rob is fully prepared to die on.

It’s smart, funny, thoughtful, and full of heart.

We would love to hear from you!

Support the show

www.heatherpetero.com

Facebook: @theheatherpeteroshow

What do you do when life changes in a second? In this episode, Heather sits down with Carter Viss — marine biologist, founder of the Carter Viss Foundation, co-author of Found in the Wake, and one-handed pianist — for a conversation about survival, recovery, advocacy, music, and meaning. They talk about the accident that changed his life, the people who helped save him, the work he’s doing to make waters safer, and the creativity and purpose that kept unfolding after everything changed.

We would love to hear from you!

Support the show

www.heatherpetero.com

Facebook: @theheatherpeteroshow